Southern Gardening: Homemade tags give personality

Written by Gary Bachman, MSU Horticulturist
Friday, 03 May 2013 18:31

Like many home gardeners, I used to put plants in my landscape without worrying about labels because I was sure I’d remember what was planted where. And like most of you, I would end up scratching my head wondering what I had planted where.One of the best gardening tips I can share, especially in the spring when you’re putting so many new things out, is to label your landscape plants.You don’t have to buy plant tags to do this. Most gardeners have items lying around the house that are perfect. DIY plant tags can give your garden and landscape a custom look and add interest as pieces of garden art. They can be plain or fancy. Use your imagination and creativity.Making plant tags is a great way to get kids interested in the garden.Since much of the garden ends up on the dinner table, it makes perfect sense to use kitchen utensils for garden tags.Recycling wooden kitchen utensils only takes markers and a little paint. If you don’t have any to recycle, buy some at the local dollar store. Paint them, write the plant name, and then apply a clear coat of polyurethane to help keep the tag readable all season long.